Tons of thanks for all the wonderful reviews... You make me feel loved! *Shucks*. Hope you like the new chapter...
~*~*~*~Chapter 4 ~ Charming Transfiguration~*~*~*~*
Lily woke the next morning to the sound of Hannah's calls.
"Lily! Lily! Wake up, you're going to be late."
She opened her eyes. As they took in the dormitory it took her a few seconds to realise where she was.
Hogwarts, she said to herself. She watched as the three figures around her dressed hurriedly.
"Lily thank god you're awake. Come on, it's half past eight."
"Half past eight?" Lily had always been a late sleeper. She liked to stay in the dream world as long as possible.
"Yes. We've got to get some breakfast down you before first lesson."
Lily grudgingly got up and started dressing.
Ten minutes later, the four of them walked down to breakfast, somehow remembering their way from the day before.
***
"James! Get up this right now, or I swear, out the window you go!" Sirius said to his friend. That was the cue for James to open his eyes, to yawn, and smile at his friend.
"Mmm...Sirius? What was that?" James said, an innocent look on his face.
"Mate, If you carry on, I'll chuck you out the window as you are, never mind if you're awake or not." Sirius smiled to show he was joking. "So you gonna get up yet?"
James yawned again. "I suppose."
"Well, if you don't I'm going without you, mate. I need my breakfast."
James started getting dressed with his friends then, pulling on a pair of jeans and putting his robes over his head.
"Breakfast you say? I'll be right with you."
Remus and Peter laughed at the speed James was moving now. They were still chuckling as they made their way through the common room, and down to the Great Hall.
***
The four Gryffindor girls entered the Great Hall, which was looking just as it had the night before, though less people inhabited it.
"Come on, let's get some seats," Bethany called, and the four of them walked over to the Gryffindor table, setting themselves down for a quick breakfast.
Lily took an apple from the bowl of fruit in front of her, while Hannah piled sausages and eggs onto hers.
"Gosh, Lil, how can you not have a proper breakfast? I've gotta eat first thing." Bethany said.
Lily looked at her apple confused, "I am eating."
Hannah gave Bethany a look then that told her to drop it. Hannah had already experienced how Lily could flare up on the smallest of things.
Just then, the four Gryffindor boys walked in, their heads held high. James looked at Lily and decided he had to talk to her soon, so he sat opposite her, hoping to m strike conversation with her.
"Hey Lily, is it?" He smiled nervously.
"Yes, it is, Potter. What DO you want?" Lily asked, looking rather angry.
"Well," he was shocked by her brashness. "I err...I wanted to..."
But just then, Professor McGonagall interrupted, handing timetables to the first years.
"Thanks." Lily said, as she quickly scanned it to find out what lessons she had first.
Charms with Professor Hilken; Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs.
Lily smiled at she remembered what the Sorting Hat had said about her being good at Charms. Lily decided she would try very hard to do well there.
"Coming then, Lil?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah, come on then."
The four girls left the table heading for the Charm classroom, with the help of Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindors' ghost's directions.
***
Well, James had tried. He had tried to talk to her, but she had pushed him back. It was obvious she didn't want to talk with him. But James really wanted those green eyes to stare at him, to want him. But she obviously didn't want to give him that pleasure.
"Well, mate. Now I'm REALLY glad I'm in Gryffindor," Sirius said, watching the girls leave the hall.
"Why?" Peter asked.
"Because, look at the TALENT. Four fabulous females, and I can tell they all want me," he said, still looking at the space they had just occupied.
"Aah," Remus said, "Peter, you should've known not to ask."
"How would I know? I've known him less than a day..."
"Yes," James jumped in, "...but this is Sirius. Since when does Sirius, even as long as we've known him, talk about anything BUT pranks and girls?"
"He has a point there mate!" Lupin agreed. Peter just started laughing.
"You...guys...crack me...me up!" he managed to say. James looked as Sirius quizzically, but James could tell by his face that Sirius was just as confused as he was.
"Okay...well, I think we should make our way to Charms you know," Sirius said, the odd, blank look still prevalent on his face.
"Yeah," said James, getting to his feet. "So where exactly IS Charms?"
"No idea," Sirius answered.
"Me neither," Peter answered, finally recovered from his fit of chuckles.
"Well...where did the girls go then?" Sirius wondered aloud.
"Well," Remus began, "...maybe they had the sense to ASK SOMEONE?"
"Hmm...Remus has a point..." James tapped on the second-year's shoulder for the second time.
"Yes?"
"Well, can you tell us where Charms is? We haven't a clue."
"Sure..." then he launched into a rather long-winded way to get to Charms. By the time he had finished, James and Sirius were both slightly cross-eyed.
"Thanks," James said. The boy smiled, and turned away again. "Wh...What did he just say?"
"No idea. I was lost after he took us around in a circle three times," Sirius said.
"Know what you mean!" James said, looking confused.
"Well, I wish you both would listen!" Remus said, "Come on, follow me."
They left the Hall, Sirius and James smiled, glad to have Remus.
***
Lily, Hannah, Stacey and Bethany waited outside the classroom for their teacher to arrive. Lily felt excitement rise inside of her; her first lesson as a witch was about to begin.
"So," Bethany began, "What do you think of the Gryffindor boys? Sirius is...well." She laughed, and blushed slightly.
"Know what you mean, Beth, Sirius is kinda, well, hot."
"Just a bit!" Hannah jumped in. "Lily? What do you think?"
"Huh? Sirius?" she hadn't really paid the boy much attention to make note on his appearance. "Oh, alright, I suppose?"
"Alright? Geez Lily, he's bloody gorgeous! AND, he spoke to you...what he say?"
"Um...not much. Called me his...pretty Lily," she said, vaguely recalling the conversation.
"Well! He certainly fancies you, lady, pretty Lily." Bethany said, smiling.
"What? Fancies me? NO, I don't think so! Don't be stupid." Lily felt her colour rising.
"I'm being serious," Bethany answered, just as the four Gryffindor boys turned the corner.
"No, I'm Se-erius!" he called to Bethany. The girl's chuckled.
Lily smiled, feeling her colour rise more now. Sirius walked up towards the girls, the three other Gryffindor boys in tow.
"Pleased to meet you ladies," he bowed low as though he was addressing the Queen. The four girls smiled.
"I am Sirius, as you just heard, and this is James Potter, bit of a Quidditch addict, and an expected heartthrob." Sirius smiled at his friend.
"YOU'VE been spending too much time with my mother, and Elmers, my house-elf."
"House-elf?" Lily asked, though looking to the floor. She remembered the term from something she had read in one of her books.
"Yeah," James answered, thoroughly appreciative of the fact the Lily seemed to be talking to him now, "Elmers, she cleans the Hollow, my house, for us."
"She's paid though, yes?"
"Er...no. House-elves aren't paid."
"So she's like your slave, then, is she?" Lily felt her colour increasing.
"No, she LIKE'S doing it!" James answered, his voice rising to the same volume as Lily's.
"That's no reason to keep her locked up in a house, cleaning all day. Potter, that's horrid!"
"It's not! All wizards-"
"To be honest, Potter, I don't particularly care for your excuses. There is NOTHING that excuses keeping a slave for your own leisure." She stalked away then, into the classroom that had just been opened by the teacher. She sat at the front of the class, hoping her temperature would fall soon.
The three Gryffindor girls walked in then, and Hannah took her seat next to Lily.
"You okay?" she asked tentatively.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It just that Potter boy, he's so annoying."
"Okay, just forget about him."
"I will, and thanks," Lily looked at her friend, who was smiling.
"No problem."
***
James stood there, just as Lily had left him, looking and feeling quite flabbergasted.
"What?" he asked, shaking his head.
"I don't know mate," Sirius, who had watched the scene, "...but what I do know is that I can see you are going to need help with um...getting the ladies. I can help you there. Two galleons-"
"I don't need help," James said, seeing the funny said of the situation, "Come on, and let's get to class."
James and Sirius followed Remus and Peter into the class, and sat next to each other. At the front of the class, the professor began to speak.
"Welcome to Charms," he said, "I am Professor Hilken and will be your teacher. The subject, Charms is all to do with..."
James' attention wandered then, so his eyes stared at a certain redhead at the front of the class.
Why did she hate him so much? Was it all because of that day in Diagon Alley? He assumed it was, for he had done nothing else to provoke her...just as I was getting her to talk, I screw it up again. Why did she care about that House-elf thing? Elmer's loves it with us, doesn't she?
"...Now, if you will split into pairs, you can try this out yourself."
"Mate?" Sirius said, gesturing to him.
"Yeah, I'll work with you. Err...what do we have to do?"
"I don't know, I was thinking how I could get that Hannah girl. She's [I]very[/I] pretty, isn't she?" he said, still staring at her.
"Yeah."
"So what were you doing, if you weren't listening?"
"I was...trying to figure out that Lily girl. Why does she hate me so much?"
"I don't know...WAIT! I know, she's pretending to hate you, while, really, she fancies the pants off you."
James threw his head back and laughed. He loved Sirius' logic.
"Okay mate, I wish."
"Well, what we going to do then, if we don't know what to do?"
"Well, my father taught me this neat trick with feathers. Shall we show everyone?"
"Yeah, lets. What do I have to do?"
***
Lily partnered Hannah.
"So Wingardium Leviosa, is it?"
"Yes, but hold out the 'gar', and the 'O'"
"Show me?"
"Sure." Lily waved her wand, "Wingaarduim Levi-o-sa."
Lily's feather flew in the sky, quite slowly, directed by wand movements.
"Well done, Miss Evans, is it?" Professor Hilken asked.
"Yes," she smiled.
"Well, ten points to Gryffindor. Come on the rest of you!"
***
"Ready?" James asked. "Tell you what, you just pretend you're saying the words. I'll do it."
"Okay, 3...2...1...GO!"
"Transfeath Doven" James shouted, waving his wand, and the whole class turned.
Suddenly, what had been a single white feather, had turned into a white dove, and it flew around the classroom.
"WHO did that?" Hilken called. His voice gave nothing away; whether he was impressed or angry, nobody knew.
"Um...it was me-" James was cut off by Sirius.
"Us. We did it."
"Well...never in all my years of teaching...I mean, can we get back to the task at hand, boys please?"
"Well, that's why we did it. We didn't hear what the task was."
"Why didn't you ask then?"
"Err..."
Professor Hilken's attention was drawn then by the fact poor Peter was finding it rather difficult to make the feather fly. His had tuned bright green, and hadn't moved an inch.
"Mr Pettigrew, your feather shouldn't be green you know..." he said, walking to the next table.
James smiled to Sirius, happy that the teachers' attention had wandered.
***
Lily watched as the beautiful dove flew around the classroom, finally perching itself on Lily's shoulder. She petted it.
James Potter showing off, again! Well, as they say, pride comes before a fall...
She was rather impressed by him though, though she would never admit that to herself, let alone anyone else.
***
James and Sirius were both pleased to escape detention for their little demonstration in Charms. Many of the students seemed impressed though, as throughout the rest of the class, different people would turn around, smile or nod, and turn back.
James and Sirius just smiled.
"Looks like we impressed a fair few, James."
"Yeah, except for that Lily Evans. She keeps scowling at us."
"Will you quit going on about her?" Sirius asked. "Or do you have a thing for her?"
"No way. Yeah, she's a pretty girl, and very brainy too, for a muggle-born she knows a fair few bits of magic, but certainly not my type. Much rather the long-legged blonde."
"Like my Hannah?"
"My Hannah?" James laughed, "Your property already?"
"Well, yeah. So you ARE after her?"
"No, I'd say that Stacey was more me."
"Yeah...those pair are friends. And if you get with her we can go on double dates."
"Sirius, mate, you're getting far too ahead. For a start, you haven't even spoken to Hannah yet, let alone date her, and I would rather stay single for a while, if that's alright with you."
"Single...why?" Sirius couldn't understand why James didn't want to rush in to any kind of relationship when Sirius himself was raring to start.
"Keep my options open, you know."
"Oh, good idea."
***
Charms ended relatively quickly after that. They copied down a couple of questions from the board for homework, and then, while the Hufflepuff's made their way to Potions, the Gryffindor's walked to Transfiguration.
Sirius and James walked separate to the group of First-Years.
"So, we gonna behave this week? No pranks, nothing."
"...and then next week, we let all hell brake loose. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
***
Professor McGonagall taught Transfiguration. Her dark hair was pulled back from her forehead, and caught in a tight bun. Perhaps this was what made her so severe-looking, but this she was. Her lips were thinner than a thin line, and it was hard to figure out where her top lip ended, and her bottom one began.
Lily placed herself at the front of the class again.
"I am Professor McGonagall, and I do not tolerate misbehaviour of any kind in my classroom, especially from Gryffindor students. Bad behaviour will result in you leaving my class and never returning. Do you all understand?"
The class spoke together, "Yes, professor."
"Good. Now, today's lesson will begin with you all writing the theory on the board."
They looked at the blank board, confused. But then McGonagall clapped her hands twice and long thin neat writing appeared there. The class copied what was written there.
"Now, who can explain how we transfigure matches into needles? Miss Evans?"
"We have to concentrate on that and nothing but," she said.
"Yes, well done Miss Evans, ten points to Gryffindor."
Twenty points already...
"Now, if you all pick up the match on your desk...point your wand at it, and concentrate."
It was a lot harder than most had expected. James, however, was already an expert at Transfiguration, and turned his match into a needle with ease.
"Well done Mr Potter. Another ten for Gryffindor."
"Well done," Sirius said quietly, "Keep up the good behaviour. The teachers will all think your Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, until next week when we show our true colours..." Sirius cackled slightly. "Yes, we are going to have such fun."
The lesson past by smoothly, there were no mishaps to be had, as McGonagall watched them all like a hawk.
"No, Mr Pettigrew, like this..." she said, her voice sounding irritated.
When the bell rang, and the class began departing, she called Sirius and James back.
"Mr Potter, Black, wait a moment."
They obliged, each giving each other confused looks before making their way towards the professor's desk.
"Professor?" James asked quietly, expecting that something had been wrong with his pin.
"Sit," she said, pulling to chairs forwards with a single wave of her wand. They both fell back into the chairs. "Right, I heard about a certain...incident you pair shared in Charms, remember?"
James' heart sunk. Here came the reprimand he had been so pleased not to receive from Hilken.
"Yes, professor, we are-"
"Did I ask you to speak, Mr Black?"
"Err...no, not that I recall, though my mother says I have selective hearing so you may have."
"Mr Black! Can you stop for a moment please?" Sirius nodded. "Thank you. Now," she reached towards her desk, and picked up a pair of white feathers, identical to the one James had transfigured into a dove. "These are white feathers, like the ones you were meant to be trying to get to float I believe?"
"Yes," James answered.
"I also believe you did not make them float. You did however turn one into a white dove, which Professor Hilken let fly out of his window ten minutes ago. Is that correct?"
"Yes." It was Sirius's turn to answer.
Professor McGonagall let out an audible sigh. James glanced at Sirius.
"Could you perform the spell again for me?" she asked, finally.
"Wh...What?" James asked, quite astounded.
"I believe you heard my request, Mr Potter, did you not?"
"I did...but, why?"
"Why? I have my reasons Potter, none of which require you to ask of them."
"Okay. Now?"
"Yes."
"Well, I guess we could..." James looked again at Sirius, but Sirius was looking at the professor.
"Um...Professor?"
"Yes, Mr Black?"
"Well, I didn't actually assist James here in turning the feather into a dove. We just, sort of pretended."
"Oh. So Mr Potter here did it all by himself?" McGonagall's eyebrows had risen further up her forehead.
James scowled at his friend. Now he had dropped him in it.
"What? No, it was the other way around...Sirius-"
"James, mate, can't you see you're not getting into trouble?" Sirius said, looking at his friend. "It's just that the professor here wants to see it with her own eyes. That right McGonagall?"
"Professor McGonagall," she corrected, "but yes Mr Potter, Mr Black is correct."
Sirius beamed. "So, lets see that trick again."
James looked from his friend to the professor. He nodded resignedly, and pulled out his wand from his pocket.
"Why you want to see this I don't know..."
"Just guess on with it Jamsie boy," Sirius laughed. "I want lunch sometime today."
"Okay." James focused his vision on the feather in front of him. He was no longer in the classroom, but in a world where everything was white, and just as the feather was about to disappear before his eyes, he said the words.
"Transfeath Doven!" Suddenly, the feather, just as it had done in Charms, turned into a dove. It rose from its position on the table so elegantly, and circled the room once before settling itself in James' shoulder. The professor was staring at James in a way that James could only call being proud of someone.
"Professor?" James asked.
"Extraordinary," she said, apparently to herself. "First year and able to perform such advanced Transfiguration. Well done Potter, I'd say ten points to Gryffindor."
James smiled at the professor. Ten points for a simple spell.
"Thanks McGonagall."
"Professor McGonagall," she corrected.
"Yeah..."
"Well, I think you may fancy a bit of lunch before Potions. I'll see you in tomorrow's lesson. Goodbye Potter, Black."
"Bye professor," the pair said in unison.
Just as they reached the door to leave McGonagall spoke again. "James, I'm proud to have you in Gryffindor. Your dad was good, but you...goodbye."
James smiled again, and left the classroom with Sirius.
"What is she on about?" Sirius asked once out of earshot.
"Haven't the faintest."
"Lets grab some lunch then, I'm starving," Sirius said, rubbing his stomach.
"Sounds good."
The pair made their way to the Great Hall, where they met Remus and Peter. During a quick lunch, they told the story of what happened in the Transfiguration classroom, before the bell went.
"Lets get to Potions," Remus called.
The four of them, James and Sirius with mouths full of food, departed for the dungeons.
***
Lily had overheard the conversation Sirius and James were having with Remus and Peter about what had happened in the classroom. This put Lily in a foul mood, furious that James had gained ten points for doing the wrong thing in class.
She, Hannah, Bethany and Stacey continued their way down to Potions, which was in the dungeons of the castle. It was to be their first lesson with the Slytherin's, the ones that Lily had heard so many bad things about.
"Lily, be careful with them," Hannah warned. "They tend to be really prejudiced against Muggle-born's, especially when they do better than pure bloods. And you are rather intelligent; I bet they won't like that."
"But why?" Lily couldn't understand why people were so insular. Why did it matter?
"Because..." Stacey began, "...Some wizards think they are superior, more noble, because there have been witches and wizards in their families for generations...It doesn't apply to everyone, and it's by and large the Slytherin's that are so narrow-minded."
"So," Lily thought, "Does that include the insufferable Potter-boy?" She remembered that he had been a pure-blood.
"James? Oh, no. He hates everything to do with the Slytherin's apparently. All the dark wizards are from there...and James' father is an Auror."
"Auror?" Lily asked.
"This job that you have to be really gifted to do. They catch dark wizards, and put them in Azkaban."
Though she had never heard the term 'Azkaban' before, it sent a shiver down her spine. "Azkaban?"
"Wizards prison," Bethany answered, "Guarded by dementors. And before you ask, dementors take all the happiness out of you, and, when they give you the Kiss...let's change the subject...give me the shivers they do."
They walked further down into the dark, damp dungeons. Lily looked around. The décor made her shudder inwardly; how anyone would want to teach down here was beyond her. Well, the Potions teacher was Head of Slytherin.
They finally reached the end of the long tunnel, where a few students were gathered. Lily guessed they were the Slytherins.
If they were the Slytherin's, then Lily guessed they weren't the friendliest lot. Actually, they didn't look all that friendly. The girls all wore identical scowls as they looked the Gryffindors up and down. The boys had an insulting look in their eyes as they too, looked at the four girls searchingly. Lily felt so out of place here, and she felt as though the Gryffindor's were not welcome. The unease in the air was so powerful; the scene felt as though they were two of the bitterest enemies facing each other after a long wait.
The spell that Lily felt she was under was broken then, by the arrival of the Gryffindor boys.
***
James looked at the sight in front of him. There stood the Slytherin first-years, all eight of them, and facing them was the four gryffindor girls.
"So," James said, his voice harsh, "What is happening here?"
Sirius and James walked towards the scene boldly, while Remus and Peter continued their same pace.
"James, be careful," Remus whispered from the corner of his mouth.
The Slytherin's looked irritably in the direction of James.
"Bah, here comes Potter to the rescue," one said. James looked the Slytherin boy in the eye. Shoulder-length dark, greasy hair, and dark holes for eyes greeted James' gaze. He snarled at James before setting his eyes on Sirius.
"And... The Failed Black. The outcast..."
"Shut it Snape!" Black said, squaring himself up for a fight.
"Don't you tell him to shut up!" another Slytherin retorted. "At least he knows the meaning of the word family, knows that blood is thicker than water. But you...running around with Potter, of all people..."
"Right, THAT'S IT!" Sirius shouted, as he pounced on the Slytherin. All hell broke lose then, as the Slytherin's all jumped in to help out. James ran in to help Sirius, throwing wild punches in all directions. Remus too, threw himself in, though it seemed against his better judgement, anything to help a friend. Peter looked tentatively around, as though looking for something to tell him what to do. After a five second pause, Peter too, entered the fight, rather blindly though, for within the first few seconds, he had gained a bleeding nose, and what was likely to turn into a black eye.
Suddenly, a loud bang stopped the fight.
"WHAT is going on here?" a voice rang loudly through the corridor. Nobody spoke to answer Professor Filbert, the man who had been introduced to the students in the Great Hall.
"Anyone?" He waited again for a reply. When it didn't come, he continued, "Fine! You have all gained yourselves a detention for the weekend. Now get in the classroom before I make it the weekend after that too!"
Both the Slytherins and Gryffindors obeyed, picking up their bags, and walking through the classroom door.
James walked through the classroom door with Sirius, who said a quick "thanks" before the silence of the classroom engulfed them.
There was a definite split down the middle of the classroom. To the left sat the Gryffindors, to the right, the Slytherins. Dark glances were the only things that crossed the centre line.
"Right, after that start, I am most certainly not impressed with either house. Actually, I am utterly appalled. Shall we begin again? Welcome to Potions. During your years at Hogwarts you will learn what it is to be a Potions master, and how to understand the beauty of the simmering potion. You will learn how to procure the ingredients of the most complicated potions, and how to brew them, and by the end of it all, you shall be one of the greatest potion masters of the modern wizarding world."
James felt his anger at the Slytherins ebbing away slowly, but not wholly, not ever wholly. The Slytherins were too closely connected to Lord Voldemort for James to give them any sort of helpful thoughts and constructive feelings. To be brutally honest, he wouldn't care if the whole house dropped dead. All the dark wizards that had ever gone bad had been from that house...
"...Now, if you will copy down the list of ingredients from the board."
James did this, his head reeling while he did so. It was widely acknowledged that Slytherin and Gryffindor were rivals and enemies, but James detested them more than most. He could not understand the logic of Slytherin; why anyone would want to be in that house...
"Mr Potter?" came a voice from far off.
"Huh?"
"Mr Potter, will you please listen! I am partnering you with Mr Snape here for the Strength Gaining potion." Snape sneered at James.
"What? Can't I...why?" This was the worst thing that the professor could have told him.
"He specifically chose you Mr Potter."
"So? I specifically choose Sirius, I mean Mr Black."
"Don't argue with me, Potter, you are in enough trouble already this morning with that fight in the corridor that I have been told you and Mr Black provoked. On of the reasons I split you up."
"But professor, they're lying. It was-"
"ENOUGH, Mr Potter, unless you want me to call Professor McGonagall down here?"
James had to stop then. He couldn't disappoint her. But Severus Snape? Snape's family were infamous supporters of the dark movement, though they tried to keep it quiet and James had heard his father mention the Snape name a number of times after arriving home for work.
James merely nodded at the decision, unable to find words for fear of them betraying him.
Snape smiled as he took a seat.
"Nice to be working with you Potter," he snarled.
"Can't say I feel the same," James said, talking to the table, not looking at Snape.
"Aah, but that isn't very friendly now is it? Not a nice welcome at all."
James looked at Severus then.
"And you actually think you deserve it?" Severus's black eyes bore into James's lighter ones. Neither would back down.
"I do."
"Well, Severus, is it? You've come to the wrong place."
"Yes, but where would be the fun in partnering with one of my own house? I understand their selfish ways perfectly, Potter, I am only too keen to understand what drives a Gryffindor to their noble ways."
"And you chose me because?"
"Because you seem like the perfect Gryffindor. I've seen your chivalrous ways already this day Potter, in helping your friend, when you know you could not win. You were outnumbered, and the professor, who was inconveniently for you the Slytherin Head of House was on his way. You could never win Potter, never."
James looked over at Sirius, who was looking murderous at the professor's choice of partners - he had been placed with the Slytherin who had defended Severus earlier, the reason why all the Gryffindors had been given detention.
"Shall we just get on with this potion or what?" James sighed; he had let Snape win that round.
"Yes."
***
"Well, well, well...looks like Sirius Black is to partner me," the boy said. He had dark hair that was slicked back. His cold blue eyes could give anyone the shivers.
"Well done Lestrange. Come to gloat about you making Slytherin, while I'm in Gryffindor?" Sirius asked staring into those eyes as cold as ice.
"Of course, why else would I be here?" Aaron Lestrange was not the brightest of students.
"Well, sorry Lestrange, but I'm h-a-p-p-y in Gryffindor!"
"Huh?"
"Happy. I know you don't know what that means but..."
"In Gryffindor...you're happy?" Lestrange laughed.
"Yeah. Much more so that I'd be in Slytherin. Sorry to disappoint you..."
Aaron just shook his head.
"Lets get on with it, huh?"
***
James and Severus were both competent, actually both were rather talented, and the work for them was easy, and therefore passed swiftly. By the end of the lesson, they were the only pair to have achieved a proper sample of the potion.
"Well done Mr Snape, Potter! See Potter? Wasn't I right in this partnership?"
James nodded slowly, though he looked towards his feet. The only reason why James had actually achieved what he had was because he wanted to show Snape that he could.
"Well, I think I may put you to work together again...yes..."
The bell went then, and James hurried out of the classroom, hoping that Professor Filbert would catch a nasty case of amnesia between now and next lesson.
"Don't worry mate," Sirius said, catching up with James. "At least you didn't end up with a dark blue potion spilt all over the desk. Lestrange isn't exactly intelligent."
Dinner was a loud affair after the Gryffindors were told of an announcement.
A seventh year student stood, and rapped on the table to catch their attention.
"Hey," he said, "I'm Steven Gorrard, and the Gryffindor Quidditch team captain. Team trials will be tomorrow, so meet up on the quidditch pitch at seven o'clock, tomorrow night. All are welcome, though first-years are hardly likely to get onto the team." He sat down then, and talk resumed.
"No first years... I'll show him! If Gorrard is as dire as that second year said he was, then I'm not going to be happy."
"Are you trying out?" Sirius asked.
"Of course! Even if the captain doesn't see my talent...I can show everyone else, and they'll see what a fool Gorrard is."
"I think they already know mate..." Sirius answered, though too quietly for even James to hear.
***
Lily sat on her bed, thinking of how the day had progressed. All in all, she was pleased. Her lessons had run smoothly, and she had gained the Gryffindor twenty house points in the race for the House cup. She smiled, said 'Goodnight,' to her roommates, and fell back onto her bed, feeling excited for tomorrow to come.
***
James and Sirius talked well into the night about pranks that they would pull during the next week. Many ideas floated to the surface, though none were all that impressive. They decided that they were tired, and that they would work on them tomorrow, and with that, they both climbed into bed.
James considered his day. His lessons had been a success; he had definitely made an impression. A good impression with everyone, he though, everyone except Lily Evans...
*~*~*~*~
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